Jasper foodies, start your appetites.

With the launch of Jasper Food Tours earlier this spring, owner and entrepreneur Estelle Blanchette is waving the green flag for the commencement of culinary cruising in Jasper.

Jasper Food Tours started with beers and game meatloaf at The Jasper Brewing Co. // Bob Covey

Blanchette is hoping a unique combination of tasty treats, tantalizing tipple and the fun of restaurant hopping to unknown dining destinations will ignite the senses of gastro-explorers.

“Part of the adventure is not knowing what’s on the menu,” she winked, revving her guests’ ravenousness as the three-hour Downtown Foodie Tour began.

On that afternoon, Blanchette was in pole position to guide her diners to the food tour’s first pit-stop: the Jasper Brewpub. An elk meatloaf with Yukon gold mashed potatoes, washed down with a glass of Jasper the Bear Ale had Arizona’s Marc and Tricia Leach licking their lips—and filming the experience for their 100,000-subscriber strong Youtube Channel, Keep Your Daydream.

“You know what this calls for? More research!” the full-time RVers laughed, clinking glasses.

As Blanchette ushered the group towards their next food terminus, it quickly became clear she’d done her own fact finding. Part of the better benefit of dining with Jasper Food Tours is the dash of local history Blanchette sprinkles tastefully between courses. Whether fusing Jasper’s railroad foundations to our modern day community dinners or finding connections between what was on the table in front of us and what First Nations diets might have looked like in these parts 200 years ago, Blanchette was making an effort to combine great food and great conversation.

“Breaking bread together brings people together,” she said.

Or in this case, breaking open a savoury, feta-stuffed falafel paired with a zippy New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, brings people together. Our second stopover was the Mediterranean-themed  Raven Bistro, a fitting place to chat about Jasper’s history of eclectic entrepreneurship and melting pot of international cuisine.

Marc, Caleb and Tricia Leach were welcomed aboard Jasper Food Tours’ Downtown Foodie Tour. The U.S. family has a 100,000 subscriber-strong YouTube channel, Keep Your Daydream

“Jasper has a global food scene,” Blanchette told her guests. “Our population is made up from people all over the world and so we really do have all the flavours of the world here, if you know where to find them.”

In 1925 it was Greek pioneers like Papa George Andrew—who opened the Astoria Hotel at that time—who were putting food on the plates of Jasper’s first visitors. Nearly 100 years later, his great grand-daughter Stepha runs the dining room named in Papa G’s honour.

Thanks in part to the building’s rich history, and Chef Jean Louis’ sublime maple-glazed sockeye salmon, Blanchette considers the Astoria a must-do for her food tour. As a bonus, the sweet British Columbia Ehrenfelser Blanchette brought out for the site visit contrasted perfectly with the salty history of the next door D’ed Dog pub.

Estelle Blanchette (middle) served up a sweet BC wine to go with the Astoria Hotel’s rich history. Guests Tricia Leach and Jordynn Bob were enjoying the pairing. // Bob Covey

With rosy cheeks and relishing in fast-formed friendships, we spilled into the last dining destination for dessert. Owners Stephanie Kalamoutsos and Darryl Hucaluk opened the Olive Bistro seven years ago, and as Blanchette described the venue as one of Jasper’s premier lounges to catch live music, our youngest diner interrupted the chatter when he saw what was being presented.

“Churros!” Caleb Leach cried out in glee. “We’re having churros!”

Cheers for churros // The grand finale of a food frenzy courtesy of Jasper Food Tours’ Downtown Foodie Tour. // Bob Covey

Served alongside an exquisite dark chocolate dipping sauce and and a coffee-infused vodka aperitif, this most impressive ending was to represent the checkered flag of our culinary cruise. Some of us would have loved a victory lap, but until Blanchette commencesher Le Poutine Tour, we will have to defer to her as our pace car of cuisine.

Check out Jasper Food Tours to get on your own culinary cruise.

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com